Furor over Xinhua’s ‘de-Americanized world’ piece neglects simple truths

By Clifford A. Kiracofe Source:Global Times Published: 2013-10-27 17:58:01

A minor media frenzy erupted in the US over a recent commentary carried by Xinhua, "US fiscal failure warrants a de-Americanized world." US opinion leaders seem unsettled as the country trends into slow motion decline. But the writer of the offending article simply stated the obvious.

The commentary, written by Liu Chang, raises several issues relating to US foreign policy and US economic policy.

On the foreign policy side, the writer criticizes Washington's imperial policy, and points out such consequences as the devastation and loss of life resulting from decades of US global interventionism. Many Americans would agree with the writer about interventionism. In fact, the world just witnessed the rejection by the US public of Washington's war against Syria.

Congress and the White House were forced to back down from an imminent escalation of the regime change war and promotion of "freedom fighters" who are Islamic terrorists of the most extreme variety.

The price tag of Washington's Iraq and Afghan wars is estimated to be between $4 trillion and $6 trillion out to the year 2020. It is obvious that a major portion of the US budget deficit serves to finance these unnecessary imperial wars and the bloated US military budget.

Although these points are not lost on outside observers, the US public has not yet woken up to these facts and smelled the coffee. Instead, Washington's politicians have Congress tied in knots over everything but the costs of unnecessary and counterproductive military interventions and adventures.

The US' addiction to playing the role of global policeman may well be its undoing. Not a few policy specialists and scholars argue against imperial overstretch.

On the economic issues, the Chinese writer made several key points too. The US is mismanaging its own economy. The irresponsible mismanagement of the US economy has negative international implications. The mismanagement of the US economy raises the broader issue of the need for revision of the overall post-WWII international economic architecture.

The US economy is not in good shape as the world can see. The question is whether or not US leaders can work in an effective manner to overcome the current situation and to manage the economy in a responsible manner for the future of Americans and also the international community.

The just-finished spectacle of Congressional gridlock and government shutdown demonstrates to the world the irresponsible nature of contemporary US leadership.

Both political parties appear devoid of a serious program to address national problems, thereby leaving the international community perplexed and rightly concerned about global implications.

Aside from the rampant militarism of the US elite, the issue of the overall disintegration of the US infrastructure is salient. Such a situation portends decline, and there are no serious efforts underway to reverse this decline.

Turning to the financial side, it would seem clear to the international community that Wall Street dominates US economic policy. Although the US is in theory a pluralistic democracy, it has become in effect a plutocracy in which powerful international financial interests dictate policy.

The litmus test of whether this situation can be reversed will be seen in the outcome of legislation now in Congress to separate commercial banks from speculative investment banks. Wall Street brought the world the international financial crisis of 2008, so this legislation does matter.

The writer quite rightly raised the issue of revising the post-WWII international financial architecture and the role of the US dollar. This has been a matter of international discussion for some time. 

Perhaps the hysterical response in parts of the media missed such discussions and, for example, the relevant points in the BRICS Delhi Declaration of 2012.

Americans should welcome candid commentary and constructive criticism sorely lacking in the thoroughly narcissistic US media.

The author is an educator and former senior professional staff member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn

Posted in: Viewpoint

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